Time switch



April 9, 1935. c. E. SUNDBERG 1,997,089

TIME SWITCH Filed Feb. 25, 1929 2 Sheets-sheet 1 April 9, 1935 CE SUNDBERG 1,997,089

TIME SWITCH Filed Feb. 23, '1929 2 SheebS-Sheet 2- .Patented Apr. 9, 1935 PATENT FFEQ 1,997,089 TIME SWITCH Carl E. Sandberg, Quincy, Mass., assigner to Albert & 3. M. Anderson Manufacturing Company, South Boston, Massachusetts Mass., a corporation of Application February 23, 1929, Serial No. 341,924

10 Claims.

f This invention relates to apparatus for controlling the ilovv of gas, Water, electricity, or the like, wherein a movable member is capable of being moved into one position substantially in an instant `and of being moved into another position after the lapse of a predetermined time.

The invention in the present instance is embodied in an apparatus for controlling an electric circuit, and has for its object to provide apparatus in which provision is made for manually closing the circuit controller and for opening the same after a lapse of time by a spring motor under one condition of use, and for enabling the circuit controller to be manually closed and opened under another condition of use.

The invention further has for its object to provide apparatus in which a circuit controller of standard and approved construction capable of handling a relatively strong current may be used.

To these ends, the apparatus is provided. with a rock-shaft having means for operating the circuit controller, and said rock-shaft is geared to the shaft of the spring motor, so that the rockshaft may be rotated in one direction by manual rotation of the spring motor shaft, and may be rotated in the opposite direction by rotation of the spring motor shaft under the influence of the spring motor.

Provision is made for enabling the rock-shaft to be rotated at one speed by manual rotation of the spring motor shaft, and to oe rotated at a slower speed by rotation of the spring motor shaft under the influence of the spring motor.

Provision is also made for enabling the Circuit controller to be closed and opened manually independently of the spring motor shaft.

These and other features of this invention Will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specication.

Fig. l is a front elevation of a lapsed time switch or apparatus embodying this invention;

Fig. 2, a like elevation with the cover removed;

Fig. 3, a side elevation with parts broken out of the switch shown in Fig. 2 looking toward the right;

Fig. 4, a like side elevation looking toward the left;

Fig 5, a horizontal section on the line 5 5, Fig. 3, to show the rock-shaft and the cams or 5o cranks mounted thereon;

Fig. G, a section on the line @-5 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7, a horizontal section on the line 'l-l, Fig. 3;

Fig. 8, a vertical section on the line 8-8, Fig. 7

Figs. 9 and 10, details to illustrate the action (Cl. D-38) of the cams or cranks on a circuit controller of known construction, and

Fig. il, a detail to be referred to.

in the present instance, is shown one embodiment of the invention. In the apparatus herein 5 shown, the motor is the spring i@ of a, clock mechanism provided Witha shaft l 2 to which the inner end of the spring i8 is secured and the outer end of which is secured to the spring barrel i3, which latter is stationary in the present case. 10

The spring iii is wound up by turning the shaft l2 in one direction by means of a key (see Fig. i), and when the key 2i? is released, the spring lo automatically unwinds and rotates the shaft i2 in the opposite direction.

The rotation of the shaft l2 by the unwinding of the spring lil is controlled by a retarding dcvice comprising a train of gears 22, which 'are coupled to the shaft l2 by a ratchet wheel 23 fast to a gear 2d of the train of gears 22 and a 20 pavvl carried by a crank or arm 26 fast on the shaft i2.

When'the shaft i2 is turned by the key 2li to Wind up the spring ill, the pawl 25 clicks over the ratchet Wheel 23 and the shaft i2 can be turned rapidly independently of the gear train, Whereas when the key 26 is released, the pavvl 25 engages the ratchet Wheel and the shaft i2 is then rotated by the spring, and its speed of rota-- tion is controlled by the train of gears 22, which 30 is provided with the usual escapement or like governing mechanism.

The shaft i2 will be hereinafter referred to as the motor-driven shaft. The motor-driven shaft is provided with means for limiting its rotation in opposite directions, comprising a substantially semicircular disk. ifi fast on the motordriven shaft i2, and a pin i5 on the end plate or head of the barrel The spring motor iii is Wound up a substantial amount before the ik is made fast on the shaft i2, and thereafter it can be further wound up by rotating the shaft l2 substantially a half turn in the direction of the arrow il to the position shown in Figure 8 whereby the end lil of the disk i4 is engaged with the stop pin i5, shaft l2 is then released by the operator and the spring motor it univinds and drives the disk ifi and the shaft i? substantially a half turn in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow il until r the opposite end iSi of the disk ii engages the stop pin i5 as shown in Fig. 8, in which position it remains until the spring motor is reWoLmd by turning the shaft l2 in the direction of the arrow li. These movements of the motor-driven shaft l2 are utilized for operating a movable device, which in the present instance is -the movable contact member of an electric switch or circuit controller Si? of known construction, which is provided with push buttons Si, S2 (see Figs. 3, 4, 9 and 10), which push buttons when depressed eiect the opening and closing of the switch in a manner well understood.

In the present instance, the push buttons Si, 32 have co-operating with them devices 33, Sli operatively mounted as will be described on a rockshaft 35 (see Fig. 5), which is geared to the motor-driven shaft i2 by a gear 36 fast on the rockshaft 35 meshing with a gear 3l fast on the motor-driven shaft i2.

The devices 33, 34 will be hereinafter referred to as cams and may and preferably will be adjustably mounted on the rock-shaft 35, so that the period of time which must elapse between the operations of the circuit controller may be varied within limits to meet different conditions of use.

One of the cams, as, for instance, the cam 33 is fast on a sleeve it mounted on a reduced front portion of the rock-shaft 35, and the cam Se is fast on a second sleeve il mounted on the sleeve lili.

The sleeve di has keyed to its front end a dial wheel or disk d2, and the sleeve it has keyed to its front end a wheel or disk t3, which is located in a circular recess it in the outer face of the disk or wheel d2.

The disks 2, i3 are adjustably connected by a screw liii carried by the disk t2 and extended through a slot E in the disk 013, said slot being concentric with the shaft 35 and of a length sumcient to allow for a predetermined maximum elapsed time, which, in the present instance, is represented as twenty minutes, as indicated by the graduations and numbers on the disk or wheel d2 (see Figs. l and 2).

The disk lit is provided with an index or pointer 50 which co-operates with the graduations on the disk e2;

By loosening the screw 45, the disk i3 is unclamped from the disk d2, and the latter can be turned clockwise, viewing Fig. l, with relation to the disk i3 so as to bring a selected graduation in register with the pointer or index 5@ on the disk 43, which graduation indicates the time which it is desired should elapse between the closing and the opening of the circuit controller or vice versa.

When the disk i2 is turned clockwise, the screw i5 travels in the slot Q6 in the disk 43.

When the disk l2 is turned, its sleeve @li and cam 3ft are turned with it, and the latter is adjusted with relation to the cam 33, and when thus adjusted the screw i5 is set up to clamp the two disks li?, i3 and their sleeves and cams in xed relation to each other so as to move as one piece. When the disks G2, [i3 and their associated parts have been clamped together to move as one piece, they may be rendered fast on. the rock-shaft 35 by a nut 52 which engages the threaded outer end of the rock-shaft 35, and acts to move the sleeve iii! into frictional engagement with a beveled portion 53 of the rock-shaft and thereby render the cam sleeves and their cams fast on the rock-shaft.

' The nut 52 is held on the shaft 35 by a screw 5d. The cams 33, dit are made fast on the shaft 35 with the cam 33 engaged with the push button 3l in its depressed position, shown in Fig. 9, with the switch 38 in its open position.

The switch t@ or circuit controller may now be closed substantially in an instant by the operator turning the key 2t on the shaft i2 in the direction indicated by the arrow il in Fig. 8.

Rotation of the shaft l2 by the key 25 does two things. It rotates the shaft i2 in such direction as to wind up the inner end of the spring motor Eil, and it also rotates the rock-shaft 35 through the gears 3l', Si@ uninfiuenced by the motor iii, and causes the cam 31.1 to depress the push button 32 from the position shown in 9 to that shown in Fig. l0 and thereby close the switch, and also turnsthe cani 3B upwardly so as to permit the push button iii to be elevated, as represented in Fig. l0.

The operator now releases the key 2G, and the spring motor li becomes active and turns the rock-,shaft S5 in the opposite direction by means of the gears Si, St, but at a slower speed due to the retarding mechanism 22 and starts the downward movement of the cam 3?, to depress the elevated push button 3i, which latter as the time progresses is progressively depressed by the cam 33 and at the end of the predetermined lapsed time is moved by the spring motor i@ to such post tion as to effect the opening of the switch or cir cuit controller.

As the opening cam 33 is moved in one direction to depress the push button 3i into the posi tion shown in Fig. 9, the closing cam 3K9 is moved upward te permit the push button 32 to be elevated, as represented in Fig. 9. The graduations on the disk i3 run from four to 20 and each graduation represents a minute. In Fig. l, the graduation representing four minutes registers with the index 5@ and at such time the screw i5 is positioned in the slot it so as to permit four minutes to elapse between the closing and the opening of the switch 30. As above stated,.the cam is turned from the position shown in Fig. l0 to that shown in 9 when the handle 2t is turned by the operator to closethe switch 3d. When the operator releases the handle 2d, the cams 33, 3d are placed under the control of the spring motor itl, which turns the shaft 35 and the cams 33, 315i as a unit and moves the cams in the reverse direction from the position shown in 1iig. 9 to that shown in Fig. l0, thereby'allowf. ing the switch @Il to be opened at the end of the predetermined lapsed time, which as represented in Fig. l is four minutes.

if it is desired that a longer time be allowed to eiapse between the closing and the opening of the switch, as, for instance, ten minutes or any other number up to the maximum, the disk '32 adjusted to have the graduation i@ or other selected nurnber register with the index or pointer 5F) on the disk d3.

rThis is effected by loosening the screw it and turning the disk l2 until the graduation lil or the other selected graduation registers with the index 5d.

When the disk i2 isvthus turned, the closing cam 35i is moved away from the push button 32 and when the graduation iii registers with the index 5d, the screw i5 is set up to clamp the disks 62, 4?; together. f

When the parts are thus adjusted, the closing cam is removed from the push button 32 such a distance that when the switch is closed by the cam 35i, the rock-shaft 35 will be turned to such extent as to move the opening cam 33 such a distance away from the push button 3i as will cause ten lminutes to elapse before the openingv cam 33 opens the switch. i

From the above description, it will be observed that vthe cain'sl are adjustable on.A the roch-shaft 35 and when Vsecured on the rock-shaft intheir adjusted position maybe Ymanually moved in one direction land be motor-operated in the opposite direction.

It will be observed that by loosening the nut 52,-the cams may be rendered loose on the roch-- shaft and may be manually turned in' opposite directions to open and close the switch.

Also if desired the switch .may be closed and the spring motor wound up manually by turning the disk i2 instead of employing the key 2G. This arrangement, however, is not preferred because of the frictional connection between the cam sleeves and the rock-shaft.

An apparatus of the character herein described is especially useful in libraries and other places where it is desirable to limit the use of electric lamps to predetermined periods of time under certain conditions of use, and also to be enabled to use the same lamps indefinitely under other conditions of use.

In the first instance, the electric lamps are automatically turned off by the motor after the lapse of a predetermined time, and in the second instance, the turning off of the lamps is 'taken out of the control of the motor.

One embodiment of the invention shown, but it is not desired to limit the to the particular construction shown.

What is claimed is:

l.. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a motor-driven shaft, a spring motor connected therewith, a separate switchoperating shaft, gearing connecting said shaft, cams on said switch-operating shaft, and a switch co-operating with said cams to be positively moved thereby into one position by the rotation of the spring motor shaft in one direction uninfluenced by the spring motor and to be positively moved into another position by rotation of the spring motor shaft in the opposite direction under the influence of said spring motor.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a motor-driven shaft, a spring motor connected therewith, a separate switchoperating shaft, gearing connecting said shafts, cams on said switch-operating shaft, a switch co-operating with said cams to be moved thereby into one position by the rotation of the spring motor shaft in on direction uniniiuenced by the spring motor and to be moved into another position by rotation of the spring motor shaft in the opposite direction under the influence of said spring motor, and means for adjusting said cams on said switch-operating shaft for Varying the length of time the switch-operating shaft is being rotated by the spring motor,

3. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a rock-shaft, a sleeve adjustably mounted on said rock-shaft and provided with a cam, means for rendering said sleeve fast on said rock-shaft, a switch member operated by said cam, a separate motor-driven shaft geared to said rock-shaft, a spring motor connected with Said motor-driven shaft to enable said rock-shaft to be rotated in one direction by manual operation of said motor-driven shaft, and to be rotated in the opposite direction by the motor-driven shaft under the influence of said spring, and means on said roch-shaft for varying the position of said cam with relation to said switch to vary the length of time said rock-shaft is under the influence of said spring.

4. In an apparatus of the character described,

is herein invention in combination, a movable'member, va rotatable cam shaft provided with cams co-operating with said movable .member to positively effect movement there of in opposite directions, a motor-driven shaft separate from said cam shaft, a motor for driving it, gearing for connecting said shafts, means for retarding said motor-driven shaft when driven by said motor, and means for coupling the motor-driven shaft with said retarding means to enable the cam shaft to be rotated by said motor-driven shaft independently of said motor and actuate the movable member substantially 'm an instant, and to enable the cam shaft to be driven by said motor and actuate the movable member after a predetermined lapse of time.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a movable member, a rock-shaft, means on said rock-shaft co-operating with said movable member to eect movement thereof, a motor-driven shaft, a motor to drive the latter, retarding means for said motor-driven shaft, gearing connecting the motor-driven shaft with the said rock-shaft, and means for coupling the motor-driven shaft with its retarding means to permit the motor-driven shaft to be rotated in one direction and operate 'the rock-shaft to positively move the movable member into one position independently of said motor, and to permit the rock-shaft to be driven by said motor a predetermined time before said rcck-shaft becomes effective to positively move the movable member into a different position.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a rotatable shaft, sleeves mounted on said shaft and provided with cams, means for turning one of said sleeves with relation to the other, means for securing said sleeves in Xed relation to each other in their adjusted positions, and means for securing said adjusted sleeves in Xed relation to said rotatable shaft to move therewith as a unit, and a switch positively operated by one of said cams when said shaft is rotated in one direction and also positively operated by the other of said cams when said shaft is rotated in the opposite direction, to be moved into its opened and closed positions.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a rotatable shaft, sleeves mounted on said shaft and normally loose thereon, cams on said sleeves, a disk afxcd to one of said sleeves, a second disk aiiixed to the other of said sleeves and provided with a slot concentric with said shaft, a screw extended through said slot for securing said disks and sleeves in fixed relation, and a nut on said shaft co-operating with one of said sleeves to render the latter fast on said shaft to rotate therewith,

S. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a rock-shaft, a sleeve adjust-ably mounted on said rock-shaft and provided with a cam, means for rendering said sleeve fast on said rock-shaft, a switch member operated by said cam, a separate motor-driven shaft geared to said rock-shaft, a spring motor connected with said motor-driven shaft to enable said rock-shaft to be rotated in one direction by manual operation of said motor-driven shaft and effect the operation of the said switch' by said cam, and to be rotated in the opposite direction by the motordriven shaft under the influence of said spring to render the said cam inoperative upon the said switch.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a main shaft, means for manually rotating it in one direction, a motor for rotating it in the opposite direction, a switch-operating shaft geared to the main shaft to be rotated thereby, a switch-closing cam and a switch-opening cam on said switch-operating shaft to positively close and open said switch, one of said cams being adjustable on said switch-operating shaft to Vary its position with relation to said switch and thereby Vary the length of time the latter remains closed independently of the main shaft.

10. In an apparatus o1" the character described, 

